


Mama Colton + Mac

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Series: MacGyver Episode Tags [7]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Episode Tag, I just love Mama Colton okay?, and I can't get enough of her interacting with Mac, because Mac needs a bit of motherly love, coda to 2x18, mama colton mothering Mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 13:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14214117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: This is a coda to episode 2x18Mama Colton has noticed that something is weighing on Mac and decides to confront him about it after all of the action is over with.





	Mama Colton + Mac

“Thanks again for the assist, Mama,” Mac said, even though he knew that she had done it for the money. Jack, Frank, and Jesse were escorting their new prisoners out of the very fancy party, leaving just Mama and Mac in the room.

“MacGyver, it seems like everytime you come around, I get paid. So, you just keep on coming around, you here?” Mama said, giving him an affectionate smile that he knew wasn’t just because of the money. He liked Mama, and the rest of her family and he was pretty sure they liked him and the team right back. Their ideologies might not always match up, but they were good people doing a good thing.

“I will keep that in mind,” Mac said, returning her warm smile. He moved to follow Jack and the rest of the crew, but Mama grabbed his arm before he could take more than one step. Mac turned back to Mama and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She gestured to his ear and Mac got the hint to turn off his comm. Mama studied him for a few more seconds before asking,

“What’s wrong, sugar?”

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong,” Mac said, even as he chided himself for not having a better poker face. He’d never really been able to keep emotions off of his face. He was sure what Mama was picking up was his frustration with the Matty and his father situation.

“Sit,” Mama instructed, pointing to the couch in the room. Mac considered trying to make up an excuse, but one look at Mama’s face told him that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So with a sigh, he sat on the couch. Mama sat next to him and fixed him with a look that he imagined always had her children scrambling to tell her the truth.

Mac, being the stubborn and private person he was, tried to ignore her look and avoid talking about what was really bothering him.

“Seriously, nothing is wrong Mama, other than the fact that one of my teammates almost just died.”

“I know you were worried about Riley, but you have been acting off since we first crossed paths, so I know this is not just because of the plane fiasco,” Mama said.

“Mama, all due respect, but you really don’t know me that well,” Mac responded. “How can you tell if I’m acting differently when you don’t know what my normal looks like.”

“Fair enough, but I do know that last time we met, you were a lot more carefree. Now it seems like something is weighin’ on you. Like, you’ve got a new burden to carry on your shoulders,” Mama said the words kindly and Mac felt a crack form in his wall. The sudden urge to tell Mama everything was overwhelming.

“Mama…” Mac hesitated. The need to talk about everything was battling with his instincts that told him sharing anything could be dangerous. “It’s a complicated situation,” He finally hedged.

“But there is a situation,” Mama said loudly and triumphantly. “Tell Mama all about it.”

“I can’t,” Mac said apologetically. “I don’t really know what to make of it all yet and getting you involved might put you in danger.”

“Honeybuns, I am a bail bondswoman. We put ourselves in danger every day, not to mention the hundreds of enemies we have made along the way.”

“This is different,” Mac was still unsure. He knew the Coltons were more than capable of taking care of themselves, but he still didn’t want to be the one responsible for putting them in harm's way.

“I might be able to help with whatever is going on. As a bail bondsperson, I can open doors that you as a Fed, can’t,” Mama pointed out and Mac had to admit that the idea of another set of eyes on this problem was appealing.

“I just don’t wanna see you get hurt, or any of your kids,” Mac said finally, shaking his head.

“Consider it a thank you for saving my boy, Billy’s life,” Mama said encouragingly. She could obviously see that she was wearing Mac down and wasn't going to give up until she had destroyed his protective wall completely.

“That wasn’t me, that was Riley,” Mac said immediately. He could still feel the painful, paralyzing feeling he’d gotten in his gut when he realized that he could do nothing but stand by and hope that Riley was okay.

“It was mostly Riley, true. But if you hadn’t broken in here and figured out their plan as quickly as you did, then Riley would’ve never had the chance to save the day,” Mama said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Mac said, just as firmly.

“Angus MacGyver!” Mama practically yelled, apparently reaching the end of her patience with him. Mac flinched slightly as her sudden raised voice. “You are gonna sit there and explain to me what is wrong and I am gonna do my best to help you and that is that. Now stop it with these weak excuses and start talkin'.”

Mac did exactly that. Her no-nonsense tone finally broke down the last of his defenses. He knew this was an argument that he wasn’t going to win, and a large part of him felt relieved to give in.

So, Mac tried to explain the situation with his father in as much detail as possible, starting with the odd threats Murdoc and the fake Dr. Zito had made. He told her about his and Jack’s global search that ended in him only finding his father’s watch. He explained the out of place numbers he had found on the watch and their connection to the German dossier that he’d found under his Christmas tree.

Finally, with a deep breath, he told her about Matty. About how it looked like it was her on the film and how Jack had broken into her house and found her unredacted file. He told Mama how he’d confronted Matty about the tape, but she’d denied it.

“I still haven’t confronted her about her file on my dad. I wanted to, but Jack convinced me that we needed more information before we went after Matty again. So things have been really tense and awkward lately. I think she may suspect that we saw the file, but she hasn’t said anything and neither have we. It’s like the worst game of chicken ever,” Mac finished his explanation with a long sigh.

“Oh, you poor boy,” Mama said quietly when he’d stopped talking. She hadn’t interrupted him the entire time, she’d just sat there and listened intently.

To Mac’s surprise, Mama scooted closer to him on the couch and put both her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Mac hesitantly returned the gesture. He’d never been huge on hugs, but in this instance, Mama’s embrace was a comfort.

“To have someone you count on betray you is one of the worst feelings,” Mama pulled back and spoke in a way that indicated she had first-hand experience. Mac gave her a questioning look and with a small sigh, she continued, “You ever wonder where Papa Colton is? Well, he and I used to be the best bail bonds duo around, but when I had the kids, I insisted that we slow down for a bit, at least while they were young. I told him that we could train them when they were older, but I wanted them to have normal childhoods. So, we bought the diner and for a while everything was good.”

“But he wasn’t made for the simple life,” Mac guessed when Mama paused. She gave him a sad smile and nodded.

“I woke up one morning to a note saying that he’d been invited by a group of bail bondsmen to join them on a job. He said that he’d accepted and that he wasn’t sure if he was coming back. I held out hope for weeks that he’d realize his mistake and come back to us, but it never happened.”

“His loss,” Mac said. The Coltons were probably the coolest family he’d ever met and Papa Colton was a fool for giving them up.

“It took me a while, but eventually I came to that same conclusion. So I put myself back together and started teaching my kids everything I knew. The four of us eventually became a better team than he and I ever had been,” Mama said, tilting her chin up proudly.

“And did you ever see him again?” Mac asked curiously.

“Not once. That spineless bastard has never dared to come back into Colton territory. He probably knows that doing so will only get him shot,” Mama said with a smile, but Mac doubted that she was joking.

“I’m sorry he did that to you, Mama, you deserve better,” Mac said seriously.

“It was a long time ago, and I’m stronger because of it,” Mama dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. “The point is, I know exactly how it feels to be betrayed by someone who you trust and rely on. Your father and Matty were both people who you were supposed to be able to count on, and they both let you down. So I promise you MacGyver, I will do everything in my ability to help you get to the bottom of all of this.”

Mac was surprised by the fierceness in Mama’s voice and expression. It reminded him of a lioness protecting her cubs. Mac felt a lump form in his throat when he realized how long it’d been since he’d had some motherlike protectiveness directed towards him.

“Thanks, Mama,” Mac said, hating the unsteadiness in his voice. Mama gave him a warm smile and pulled him into another embrace. This one he returned a lot quicker.

“We’ll figure this out, don’t you worry,” She said as she reached one hand up to stroke his hair.

Mac wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but they were finally interrupted by his phone buzzing. Mac pulled back and took out his phone, not at all surprised to see that it was Jack. He was honestly surprised it’d taken Jack this long to notice that he and Mama weren’t down yet. Mac probably had Jesse Colton to thank for that.

Mac sent a quick text letting Jack know that they were on their way. Then he turned to Mama and gave her a smile.

“We should probably go before Jack decides to storm the place,” He said, standing up and offering his hand to Mama. She accepted it and allowed him to help her up. 

“Yes, I reckon we should be on our way,” Mama said. “And you make sure to send me copies of all of the information you have as soon as you get home.”

“I will, and thanks again Mama,” Mac said, not able to fully express his gratitude for both her help and support.

“Don’t mention it, child, now let’s go get me my money,” Mama Colton said, linking her arm in Mac’s as they walked down the hallway. Mac let out a laugh and realized that a tiny bit of the weight that he’d felt pressing down on his chest since he’d learned of Matty’s involvement had dissipated. It wasn't completely gone, but talking about it with Mama had lightened the load slightly.

Mac felt a small flicker of hope. Maybe with the Colton’s help, they would actually be able to solve this mystery.


End file.
